Speed-indicator.



No. 629,946. Patented Aug. I, I899. T. van ZWEIGBEBGK.

SPEED INDICATOR.

(Application filed Apr. 11, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Shunt I.

(No Model.)

m ATTORNEYS,

PHOTO-HTML). WASHINGTON. u. c.

Np. 629,946. Patented Aug. |a99. T. van ZWEIGBERGK.

SPEED INDICATOR.

(Application filed Apr. 11, 1898.) [No Model.) 2 $haatsSheet 2.

W/TNESSES: /NVENTO/? I BY ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THORSTEN VON ZVEIGBERGK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SPEED-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,946, dated August1, 1899.

Application filed April 11, 1898. Serial No. 677,171. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THORSTEN VON ZWEIG- BERGK, a subject of the King ofSweden and Norway, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga andState of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inSpeed-Indicators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention is for a speed-indicator, and though its uses are manifoldit is especially designed for use on bicycles.

It consists, broadly, of an indicating member combined with two sets ofmechanism, one operated. bythe movement of the device whose speed is tobe measured and the other operated independently thereof, and oneoperating to move the indicating member in one direction and the otheroperating to return it, and one operating through intermediatemechanism,includingaspiral member,whereby its effect increases as theother succeeds in moving the indicating member, the result of which isthat there exists an equilibrium position for the indicating memberwhich is dependent upon the speed of the device being measured.

More specifically, the invention consists in the combination, with anindicating member, of a suitable tappet adapted to be hit by an exteriormoving device and operating through intermediate gearing to move theindicating member in one direction and a spring acting throughintermediate mechanism, includinga spiral member, and thus tending toretract the indicating member, with an elfect which increases as thetappet advances the indicating member.

The invention includes other features, which may be best summarized asconsisting in the combinations of parts hereinafter specilied, anddefinitely enumerated in the claims.

The drawings clearly disclose the inven tion embodied in a form which isapplicable to a bicycle.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the speed-indicator in place at the axleof the front wheel of a bicycle. Fig. 2 is a plan of such indicator.Fig. 3 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the indicator,looking at the inner side thereof, part of the cover-plate be- ,end ofthat axle, as shown in Fig. 1.

ing broken away. Fig. 4 is a similar View of the indicator with thecover-plate, the next internal plate J and the parts it carries removed,the indicating-ring being shown as still larger scale, on the line 7 7of Fig. 4,.

looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 8 is a detached view of theplate-J, the parts immediately in front of and behind it, looking fromthe position of the arrow marked 8 in Fig. 5.

The same letters of reference designate the same parts on all thefigures.

The indicating mechanism is inclosed within a suitable casing, whichconsists'of a drum A and a pair of plates B B,which act as heads to thatdrum. When the indicator is designed for use on a bicycle, these platesare continued beyond the drum in the form of arms I) b, which arebrought together and secured by the bolt I). A hole b is providedthrough these plates which is adapted tofit over the projecting end ofthe axle of the front wheel, whereby the indicator may be clamped inplace by the nut screwing onto the A suitable pinZ is attached to aspoke of the wheel in such position that as the wheel revolves the. pinwill hita tappet-arm O, carried by the indicator, and move the sameuntil the pin clears it, and thereby operate the internal mechanism.

The tappet-arni O referred to is suitably journaled in the plate B atits center, and at the inner end of its axis carries the arm D. On theend of this arm is a dog E, having a nose 6, which is adapted to takebetween the teeth of a gear-wheel F. This gear-Wheel is rigidly securedon a shaft G, which is journaled in a pair of plates II and J, theformer of which carries distance-blocks h and h, which bear against thelatter plate and to which the latter plate is secured by screws K. Theplate J is secured by similar lugs and screws to the plate B,whereforethis last-mom tioned plate supports the whole internal m ech anism.

The arm D normally stands in the position shown in Fig. 3 under theinfluence of the spring L, secured to a lug projecting from that arm andto the plate J. The dog E, which is adapted, as stated, to engage withthe gear-wheel F, is normallyheld out of such engagement by theshoulder-j on the plate J coming under that dog. As the arm D,however,is advanced the dog passes off of that shoulder, and a spring 6 actingon the dog causes its nose 6 to engage with the teeth of the gear-wheel,whereupon the continued movement of the arm D turns the gear-wheel uponits axis. After this turning has proceeded the amount required the tail6 of the dog hits against the overhanging shoulder of the plate, whichdraws the dog out of engagement with the teeth of the gear-wheel. Thislatter position is shown in dotted lines in Fig.

The arm D being rigid with the shaft of the tappet O is of course movedby that tappct when the pin Z strikes the latter. The operation of suchstriking, therefore, is to cause the dog E to move forward and then passinto engagement with the wheel F and move that wheel a short distanceand then pass out of such engagement. This provision for allowing someidle movement of the dog at each end of its stroke while it is free fromthe wheel F obviates the necessity of setting the pin Z with extremenicety. It is only necessary that that pin be so set as to move the dogthrough its effective stroke, and it will be seen that there isconsiderable leeway between this and the maximum stroke of the dog.

Journaled on a shaft or pin M, projecting from the plate H, is a drum N,having in its interior a spiral spring a, one end of which is secured tothe inner side of the periphery of the drum and the other end to thejournalpin. This spring tends to rotate the drum in the direction of thearrow shown in Fig. 4. Rigid with the drum on the side thereof oppositethe plate H and journaled on the same shaft M is the spiral gear P, thespiral of whose periphery convolutes in the opposite direction to thespiral spring 11.

Rigidly secured to the shaft G, and hence turned by that shaft when thewheel F is turned, is a spiral gear Q, which meshes with the spiral gearP, to which it corresponds. These spiral gears are alike, exceptreversed, and are constructed on the principle that the sum of thegreatest and least radii and of the next to the greatest and the next tothe least. radii, &c., are always a constant, and this sum is equal tothe distance between the shafts M and G, from which it results that thegears are always in mesh, while as the gears rotate from their normalpositions, as shown in Fig. 4, the radius of the gearQ eontinnallydecreases and that of the gear Peontinually increases, wherefore themore the wheel P is rotated by the spring in unwinding the greaterbecomes its lever-arm and the greater is the movement it communicates tothe shaft G for a given movement of the spring and drum.

Loosely surrounding the internal mechanism within the casing is theindicating member R, which is in the form of a ring and has a series ofnumbers arranged in order about its periphery. Any one of these numbers,depending upon the position of the ring, may be observed through asuitable opening in the upper portion of the drum A, in which opening ispreferably placed a magnifying-glass S.

Rigidly secured to the end of the shaft G is an arm T, which takes in anelongated notch r in the indicator-ring. From what has been described itwill be seen that as the pin Z operates the tappet C the dog E advancesthe wheel F, and this will turn the arm T and move the same through thenotch r, and if it hits against the end of that notch shift theindicator-wheel. As soon as the pin Z has cleared the tappet G thespiral spring or, rotating the drum N, draws the arm T in the oppositedirection and may shift the ring As the speed of the rider increases thetappet will operate more rapidly and the arm T be swung forward, and thespring n will not have time to swing it back far before the pin Z againhits the tappet; but the faster this pin hits the tappet, and hence themore it succeeds in keeping the wheel F rotated be yond the posititionwhich the spiral spring would normally turn it, the greaterthe leverarmwhich the spring has in tending to draw the arm T backward, owing to thespiral gear. Hence a period of equilibrium will be reached which willleave the ring R in substantially a stationary position, the arm '1.simply oscillating back and forth within the notch r.

The series of numbers on the ring extends in the direction from thepoint toward which the tappet moves it to that toward which the springtends to return it. If the speed of the rider decreases, the spring ahas the advantage and rotates the ring backwarchthus showing a lowernumber through the glass,whereas if the speed increases the tappetoperates to gain on the speed and the ring is rotated to disclose alarger number through the glass It will thus be seen that the shiftingof the ring is tnoportionate to the change in speed of the rotation ofthe wheel which is being measured, and if the marks on that ring are insome proper denomination it may show the actual speed of the devicebeing measured. For an indicator to be used on a bicycle those markswould preferably be in the number of miles per hour. The form shown inthe drawings eontem plates a series of numbers around the periphery ofthe ring, ranging from 5 to 25, between whichlimits would be the speedof a wheel in any ordinary cases. A bar a,

carried by the drum A, extends across the center of the magnifying glassand forms a convenient measuring-point for estimating the fractions of amile per hour.

In order that'the spiral springn may operate the drum N regularly, Iprovide a suitableescapementmechanism. This, asshown, consists of anordinary clock-escapement, as follows: first, the rotatable escapement-wheel U,havinga pinion a, which engages with gearteeth 0?, on theperiphery of the drum N; second, a balance-wheel V, suitably journaledand having a hair-springo secured at one end of its shaft and at theotherend adjustably to a stationary point; third, an escapementlever IV,suitably pivoted and engaging at one end with the escapement-wheel andat the other end with a pin 1), projecting from the balance-wheel. Thusa steady unwinding of the spring n and the consequent constant rotationof the drum N is provided when the pin Z is out of engagement with thetappet.

To allow the tappet acting through the spiral gear Q to rotate the drumbackward without interfering with the esoapement, I provide a slipconnection between the pinion a and the escapement-wheel U. This slipconnection is established by making the pinion on a tubular shaft whichfits over the shaft 11., carrying the escapement-wheel, and by placing aclutch member 10 having a ratchet-face, on the escapement-wheel and acorresponding clutch member Won the sleeve. A spring a surrounding theprojecting end of the shaft to and bearing against the end of the sleevea normally keeps the two clutch members in engagement. Thus when thepinion a is rotated by the unwinding of the drum N the escapement-wheelis also rotated; but when the drum N is turned backward by the wheel Qthe escapement-lever \V holds the es capement-wheel from rotating, andthe sleeve '11? and its clutch member a are thus rotated idly, thecscapementwheel being simply forced outward (to the left in Fig. 5) asthe ratchet-teeth of the clutch member a slip over those on the clutchmember a In order to prevent the spring from unwinding when theindicator is idle or the bicycle running at less than five miles perhour, in the case under consideration, I provide the spiral gears withthe cooperating locking-surfaces q and p, which limit the movementbetween them, as shown in Fig. 4. The corresponding surfaces on thesegears also engage when the ring R has been moved to its other limit-thatis, twenty-five miles per hour as shown in Fig. 8. In order to preventbreakage of the parts should the wheel be rotated faster than thatspeed, I strip the teeth from that portion, of the wheel F which comesinto position to be acted upon by the dog E at thetwenty-iive-mile-per-hour speed. This allows the movement of the dogback and'forth without causing the movement of that wheel. This strippedportion of the wheel F is shown atfin Fig. 8.

It will benoticed that the escapement mechanisin is at that side ofthe'indicator which I is covered by the plate B, which does not carryany of the internal mechanism. Therefore a simple removal of this platerenders the escapement accessible for regulation.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a speed'indicator, thecombination, with suitable supports, of mechanism adapted to be operatedby the movement of the device whose speed is to be measured, an armconnected with said mechanism and moved thereby through a definitedistance for each rotation of the device to be measured, aspringoperating to retract said arm, whereby it is given an oscillation, anindicating member so connected with the arm that the arm does not moveit when the path of oscillation of the arm is not changed but does moveit if that path is changed, said spring operating to move said armrearward a greater or less (listance than it moved forward according tothe amount of time said spring is allowed to act whereby the path ofoscillation of the arm is shifted forward as the speed of rotationincreases and rearward as it decreases, sub stantially as described.

2. In a speed-indicator, in combination, an indicating member, tendingto remain in an indeterminate position, a suitable tappet adapted to bemoved by an exterior moving device, an arm adapted to move saidindieating member, said arm being adapted to occupy diiferent positionsrelative to the tappet and being so connected with the tappet that it ismoved forward a definite amount for a definite movement of the tappetirrespective of the position which said arm occupies when the forwardmovement begins, there being play between said arm and the indicatingmember as great as the movement of said arm, and regulated mechanismadapted to move said arm in the contrary direction to that in which thetappet moves it, substantiall y as described.

3. In a speed-indicator, in combination, an indicating member, mechanismadapted to move said member forward, a reciprocating tappet adapted tobe operated intermittently in one direction by the movement of thedevice whose speed is to beindicated for moving such mechanism, aspring, means for governin g the retraction thereof without interferingwith the connection between the tappet and the indicating member, aconnection between the spring and the indicating member whereby thespring tends to move said member rearward, said connection including aspiral member whereby the spring may retract regularly but a givendistance of its retraction produces on the indicating member aretraction the amount of which increases as the movement 4. In aspeed-indicator, in combination, an

indicating member, a spring, a spiral gearP which the spring tends torotate, a spiral gear Q. in mesh with the gear I suitable connectionbetween the spiral gear Q and the indicating member whereby that gearmay move that member, and means adapted to be operated by the movementof the device whose speed is to be indicated for rotating the gear Q,substantially as described.

5. In a speed-indicator, in combination, an indicating member, a spring,a pair of 006perating spiral gears, a suitable connection between onegearand the indicating member whereby that gear may drive that member,and a suitable connection between the other gear and the spring wherebythe retractile force of the spring may drive that gear, an escapementmechanism regulating the springs retraction, and mechanism for operatingthe gear connected with the indicating member, which mechanism isadapted to receive m ovement from the device whose speed is to beindicated, substantially as described.

(3. In a speed-indicator, in combination, a shaft G, a spiral gear Q,thereon, a second spiral gear P in mesh with the gear Q, a springtending to rotate the spiral gear P in one direction, an indicatingmember, a suitable connection between the shaft Gand that member, thewheel F on the shaft G, andmeans adapted to be actuated by the movementof the device whose speed is being measured for moving said wheel F inthe direction opposite to that which said spring tends to move itthrough the spiral gears, substantially as described.

7. In a speed-indicator, in combination, a shaft, an arm T securedthereto, an indicating member R adapted to be engaged by said arm andmoved by it, there being play in said engagement whereby said arm maymove some distance without aiiiecting said indicating member, andoperating mechanism adapted to rotate said shaft a definite distance foreach actuation of the operating mechanism, a spring tending to rotatesaid shaft in the opposite direction at a rate which increases with theincrease of degrees of rotation given said shaft by the operatingmechanism, substantially as described.

8. In anindicator, an indicating member, a movable tappet adapted tocause movement of said member in one direction, the connection betweensaid tappet and the said member being released it said tappet moves morethan its desired travel, whereby it is unnecessary to regulate themovement of the tappet to an exact amount to produce an exact efliect onthe indicating member, substantially as described.

9. In a speed-indicator, in combination, a

suitable tappet, an arm D operated thereby,

a dog E carried by said arm, a wheel F with which said dog is adapted toengage, shoulders jj' preventing the engagement of said dog when the armD begins its movement and withdrawing said dog from such engagementbefore the wheel ends its movement, and a suitable indicating memberadapted to be moved by the movement of said wheel F, substantially asdescribed.

10. In a speed-indicator, in combination, a drum, a spiral spring withinthe same tcndin g to rotate the drum, gear-teeth on the periph= cry ofthe drum, an escapement mechanism having a pinion gearing with saidteeth whereby when said spring unwinds it must do so regularly, a-spiralgear P rigid with said drum, a spiral gear Q meshing with the gear I, anindicating member, suitable connecting mechanism between such member andthe gear Q, and mechanism adapted to be operated by the movement of thedevice whose speed is being measured for moving said 111E111- ber in theopposite direction to that caused by said spring, substantially asdescribed.

11. In a speed-indicator, in combination, a spiral spring, an escapementmechanism connected therewith and preventing the irregular unwinding ofthe spring, a slip connection between the spring and the escapementmechanism whereby the spring may be wound up without operating theescapement mechanism, an indicating member, mechanism for moving thesame in a direction to indicate greater amounts, suitable connectionbetween said spring and said indicating member whereby the spring isadapted to move the indicating member in a direction to indi cate lessamounts, substantially as described.

12. In a speed-indicator, in combination, a wheel F having teeth on itsperiphery, an oscillatable arm D, a dog carried thereby ad apted toengage with the teeth on the wheel F, an indicating member adapted to bemoved by said wheel F to its limit in at least one rotation of saidwheel 1*, the teeth on said wheel with which said dog would engage aftersaid indicating member had reached its limit being omitted, whereby thedog may move more rapidly than the maximum speed which the device isintended to indicate without causing breakage, substantially asdescribed.

13. In a speed-indicator, in combination, a suitable casing, consistingof a drum A and a pair of side plates B B, an opening in said drum, aring within the drum having numbers on its periphery, a tappet-arm onthe outer side of theplate B, mechanism connecting the same with thering whereby the tappet is adapted to move the ring to display numbersof continuously higher value until the limit of the series on the ringis reached, and means within the drum tending to rotate said ring in theopposite direction, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

'lllOllSlEN VON ZWEIGBERGK.

IVitnesses:

PHILIP E. KNOWLTON, ALBERT I-I. BATES.

